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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · jam · fan · spring · fall · pop · object · club

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — for golf
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — a group
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — moving air
  14. object — an aim
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — soda
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fall — the season
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — to protest
  23. spring — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com